Vet Tranquilizes Zoo Worker

An endangered silverback mountain gorilla from the Nyakamwe-Bihango family feeds within the forest in Virunga national park near Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, May 3, 2014. (REUTERS/Kenny Katombe)

A veterinarian accidentally shot a zoo employee with a tranquilizer dart, the Daily Mail reports.

The employee was taking part in an escape drill at Loro Parque Zoo on the Spanish island of Tenerife, but the vet wasn’t informed of the exercise. He shot the 35-year-old employee in the leg with a tranquilizer dart designed for a 400-pound gorilla.

“These simulations are designed to guarantee security, emergency measures, and to train people who work in these enclosures,” the zoo stated.

Zoos around the world do similar escape drills, and many use gorilla suits like the one used at Loro Parque Zoo.

“As a result, he was quickly seen by paramedics and immediately taken to Hospital Universitario Canarias, where he was treated and then discharged,” the zoo stated. “He has recovered well and is now in good health and is grateful for all the messages of concern he has received.”

UPDATE: The Daily previously reported that the shot employee was wearing a gorilla suit. He was not.